Descendants of Richard Few

Generation No. 1

1. RICHARD1 FEW1 was born Abt. 1625 in Market Lavington, Wiltshire, England, and died September 13, 1688 in Chester Township, Chester County, Pennsylvannia. He married (1) JANE WHITFIELD Bet. 1640 - 1667 in England. She was born Bet. 1613 - 1640 in England, and died April 24, 1674 in England. He married (2) JULIAN UNKNOWN WFT Est. 1642-1672 in England. She was born Unknown in England, and died in America.

RICHARD FEW
The Few family in America may be traced to England almost three hundred years ago. In the seventeenth century the Church of England was the established religion and Charles II, the reigning monarch, did not look kindly on those who were nonconformists. Particularly stubborn were members of the Society of Friends or Quakers. A mild and gentle people, they believed each individual was worthy of the same respect and reverence accorded to anyone else. Therefore they would not remove their hats to even the king himself. For their unorthodox behavior they were often punished, flogged in the streets by the king's officers.
When Quaker leader William Penn came into possession of a large tract of land in the New World he resolved to remove the Quakers to a place more favorable to the practice of their faith.
In the village of Market Lavington, Wilshire, an inland county in the south of england, Quakers were, and still are, numerous. A member of the Lavington Meeting, RICHARD FEW began to make the preparation that would be necessary to emigration the Penn Colony.
The family name was written "Ffew" or "ffew." According to a family history in the International Ancestry Guidl (Archive No. L.F. 138-969), London, england, the name originated in Wales from the Welch, "Ap Hugh" meaning "son of Hugh." The report continued: Later the prefix was dropped, and an examination of Englis and Welsh Parish Register gives the subsequent variations as follows: Phugh, Phughe, pugh, pughe, phewe, phew, pew, pewe, Fewe, Few...
Research into abstracts of Genealogical Guides shows that in the 1600's there were branches of Few families in the counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, Essex, Kent, Somerset, Leicester and Lincoln, The County land Rolls given the following Few branches among the larger landowners: Oswald Few, 46 acres at Llandoveny, Carmarthenshire, 1590. Sir Denis Few, 60 acres at Brinsop, Herefordshire, 1607. Reverend Paul Few, 30 acres at Hayton, Yorkshire, 1620. Edward Few, 55 acres at Oxenhope, Lancashire, 1632. Phillip Few, Barrister at Law, 40 acres at Tenterton, Kent, 1643. Colonel Robert Few, 58 acres at Silverton, Devonshire, 1668. Captain John Few, 35 acres at Soham, Norfolk, 1680. Nicholas Few, 45 acres at Highbridge, Somerset, 1694.
A shoemakere by trade, it is not surprising that RICHARD FEW's name did not appear among the larger landowners. His desire to emigrate to america was undoubtedly influenced not only by its offer of freedom of religion, but also it seemingly unlimited economic opportunities. Even before his removal to America, on 2, 6 mo., 1681, he purchased from William Penn's adminsistration 500 acres of land to be laid out in Pennsylvania. A 1764 map by John Reed entitled, "Map of the city and Liberties of Philadelphia with Catalogye of Purchasers," listed Richard Few as a "First Purchaser," and the location of the ten-acre "bonus" lot in Philadelphia is shown on the Schuylkill side of the city (Penn Archives, Ser. 4, 4: Appendix B (138 vol., ten series, cited hereafter as Pa. Arch or Col Rec [Colonial Records])). By indenture he deeded half of the 500 acres to his daughter, JOANE, a widow. Later she presumably married a ROBERT SILVESTER of Horseley, County of Gloucester, Mercer. They in turn deeded the land to Henry English, who conveyed it to Giles Knight, a passenger on the "Welcome" with William Penn. The tract was laid out in Warmister Township, Bucks County. "Old Rights" records reprinted in the Penn. Archives show the "City Lott" (Philadelphia) was warranted "11th 9'ber, 1683" and a tax return was made 9, 4 mo., 1684. RICHARD FEW settled in the upper part of Chester Towenship, Chester County, where a list of landholdres for 1689 showed Richard Few owned 227 acres (J. Smith Futhey and Filbert Cope, "History of Chester County, Pennsylvania" (Philadelphia: Louis H. Everts, 1881) p. 31)
RICHARD FEW was probably born as early as 1625. He married first JANE (also appears as JOAN) WHITFIELD and they were parents of five sons and one daughter. Jane Few died 24, 4 mo., 1674 and Richard married second JULIAN ___, Louis Dale Carman who has made a study of Few family history wrote: "his second wife Julian and his son Isaac accompanied him to this country. They arrived in America prior to 12 September 1682 as on that date he was listed as one of the jurors at a court held at Upland (Records of the Courts of chester Co., Pa., 1681-1697 (Philadelphia: Patterson & White Co., 1910), p. 20.) This was more than a month earlier than William Penn's arrival at this tiny Swedish settlement, 29 October 1782, which he renamed Chester after the city of that name in England.
A servant who came to America with Richard and Isaac may have been Margaret Smith. Several years after their arrival an account of a suit involving them appeared in an "Abstract of the Minutes of the Court of Chester, PA, 1681-1697 (pages 107-110): "Petitioned against his former servant Margaret smith upon which John Buckley was attested who declarfeth that he brought noe Cloth out of England for ye said Margaret."
Two other members of the Few family may have come to America shortly after the arrival of Richard and Isaac. Richards's oldest son, RICHARD FEW, JR., married Susanna ___, and they were the parents of a daughter SUSANNA. Two sons and two other daughter died young. Richard Few, Jr.'s wife died and was buried 7, 10 mo., 1680 at Devizes, a village in Wilshire. He probably married again as the Chester Monthly Meeting record, entitled "Burialls, Beginning the 23th Day of the 10th Month 1682 (page 6), related: "Mary Widdow of Richard Few Jun: Departed this Life the 30th of ye 1st month 1686 (Chester Monthly Meeting, Deaths, 1682-1884, mfm, Swarthmore College Library, Swarthmore, PA)
In 1684 he was appointed "Constaple" for Chester. He was fined in 1687 for not appearing to "mend ye High Wayes."
Reputedly advanced in years at the time of his arrival in America, Richard Few's death was recorded in the 1688 "Chester Monthly Meeting Minutes: "Richard Few Departed This Life the 13th Day of the Ninth Month 1688."

Will Filed in "Philadelphia County will Book A, No. 59, pages 134 - 135, and proved at Philadelphia 26 March 1689, Patrick Robinson, regent general; on the evidence of Caleb Pussey and Thomas Brassey.

Will of RICHARD FEW SR.:
The tweifth day of the 6 month in the year one thousand six hundred eighty & sixe. It having pleased ye Lord to visit ne RICHARD FEW of Chester with a great fit of siknes yet in perfect sense & memory But not knowing how it may please ye Lord to dispose of me and willing to setell ye affairs of my outward estate do make this my last will and testament in manner and form following:
First I do give & bequeath unto my son ISAAC all my purchased land conserning two hundred & twenty acres as allso my citey lot at Philadelphia with all opurtaning thereof to him my said Son ISAAC for him and his heirs forever he allowing my wife JULIAN the one half of ye said 2 hundred and 20 acres viz so much of it as is or shall be cleared & manuered during her naturell life, she allowing the one half of ye charge it shall be expended thereupon during her said naturell life.

Furthermore my will is that my said Wife shall likewise have herr abode and habitation in ye house with my son ISAAC during her natural like allso unless at any time ye house should not be thought convenient or that they should not agree so as to live together that then my son ISAAC shall at his own proper cost & charge build for my said Wife a convenient house of stone of seven feet high in ye wall & 14 long within the walls & 12 feet wide withing ye walls with a convenient chimmey in it.

I so allso give unto my said Wife ye one half of ye stock that is raised upon ye plantation and ye increase thereof during her naturell life also and at her death then it shall be given and disposed of to my children & grandcildren and that my Son's Wife shall have the disposing thereof as to which of them shall seem meet and most becoming.
Alas my will is yt all my debts and other charges be born & defrayed equally between my said Wife & my said Son ISAAC and further my Wife shall have ye use of half of ye household goods & untensells of husbandry during her life also.
But if my said Wife should marey again then my will is yt my said son ISAAC shall have ye whole estate real & personall as above & yt my said Wife shall at ye end of six months after ye day of her mareing go of the plantation, he my said son alowing her 10 pound ye said 10 pound to be paid her at or before ye end of six months after ye day of her so maring.
Also my will is that my granddaughter SUSANA FEW shall be sufficienty brought up and maintened with sufficient meat drink and apparell & learning sutable for her ye charge of ye said maintainance & learning to be born equally between my said Wife and my said son ISAAC until she be 18 years of age. but if my Wife should mary as above yt then my son ISAAC should have ye care & EDUCATION of her my said grandchild.
And also I do give unto my to said sons WALTER and DANIEL FEW & to my daughter JOAN FEW 5 pounds apiece to be paid or ordered to be paid to each particular or to whom each perticular shall order it to be paid in this province of Pennsilvania within 3 years after decease but if my said sons WALTER & DANIEL or my said daughter JOAN they or either of them should come into this province that then they or either of them yt shall so come shall have their particular proportion of 5 pounds as above to be paid them within a year after thoir or either of their so arrivall & my will is also yt those above said sums of 5 pounds apiece to be to my above said to sons and daughter by my son ISAAC & my Wife equally between them but if my said Wife should marey as above before ye 3 years after my decease be expired yt then my said sons & my said daughter ye aforesaid sums of 5 pounds apiece and at ye time above said but if either of my above said 3 children should dye before ye time of ye above said payment be expired yt then his or her 5 pounds as above shall be equally divided between ye other two & if 2 of them should dye before the time is expired the two of ye sons 5 pounds should be given to ye 3d but if they all 3 dye before ye said time for payment be expired yt then my said son ISAAC shall have ye whole sum of 15 pounds himself.
Also & further I do give to ye use of poor friends ye sum of one pound to be paid within one year after my decease and to be disposed of as ye friends of ye monthly meeting at Chester shall think fit.
And I do make my well beloved wife and my son ISAAC my lawful executrix & executor to carefully execute my last will & testament according to ye true intent and meaning thereof.
And also I do make & constitute my friends THOMAS BRASIE & CALEB PUSEY my trustees to carefully to see the execution of it according to ye true intent & meaning thereof.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand ye day and year above wrighten.

Signed in ye presence of us whose names are under wrighten. Proven 26 March 1689 [not signed]

Penn’s ship, the "Welcome," sailed from "the Downe’s" (the roadstead off Deal and Ramsgate, where the Goodwin Sands furnish a natural break-water) on or about Sept. 1, 1682. Claypoole writes on September 3d that "we hope the ‘Welcome,’ with William Penn, is gotten clear." The ship made a tolerably brisk voyage, reaching the capes of the Delaware on October 24th, and New Castle on the 27th, being thus fifty-three days from shore to shore. The voyage, however, was a sad one, almost to the point of disaster. The smallpox had been taken aboard at Deal, and so severe were its ravages that of the one hundred passengers the ship carried, thirty, or nearly one-third, died during the passage. The terrible nature of this pestilence may be gathered from one striking fact, and that is this: antiquarians, searching for the names of these first adventurers who come over with Penn,— a list of names more worthy to be put on record than the rolls of Battell Abbey, which preserves the names of the subjugators of England, who came over with William the Conqueror,— have been able to find the most of them attached as witnesses or otherwise to the wills of the well-to-do burghers and sturdy yeomen who embarked with Penn on the "Welcome" and died during the voyage. The list of passengers, derived chiefly from Mr. Edward Armstrong’s address before the Pennsylvania Historical Society at Chester in 1851 (his authorities being there given in full), begins with

JOHN BARBER and Elizabeth, his wife. He was a "first purchaser," and made his will on board the "Welcome."
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RICHARD FEW, of Levington, Wiltshire.
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During the trial and affliction which the passengers and crew of the "Welcome" were subjected to on their voyage to the Delaware, when the natural instincts of man are turned to terror and selfish seclusion, Penn showed himself at his best. His whole time, and that of his friends, was given to the support of the sick, the consolation of the dying, the burial of the dead. Richard Townshend, a fellow-passenger, said, "his good conversation was very advantageous to all the company. His singular care was manifested in contributing to the necessities of many who were sick with the smallpox. . . . We had many good meetings on board." In these pious services Penn had the cordial help of Isaac Pearson, to whom, in return, he gratefully gave the privilege of rebaptizing the town on the Delaware at which some of the survivors landed, and thus the significant and appropriate name of Upland, applied by the Swedes to their second colony, was lost in the euphonious but meaningless and inappropriate cognomen of Chester.